BLOOMINGTON — John Ficca, 95, of Bloomington, Ill., passed away peacefully on November 20, 2024, at his Westminster Village residence. Born in Follansbee, W.Va., to Italian immigrants Dan and Emilia (Cicale) Ficca, John was orphaned at a young age. Despite this, he built a remarkable life filled with love, creativity, and resilience. After graduating from Follansbee High School, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Using the G.I. Bill, he earned his degree at West Liberty State College, where he met his wife, Patricia Jo Hurst. They married in 1953 and shared 60 wonderful years together. John earned his doctorate in Theater Arts at the University of Iowa and joined the faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1956. Over 46 years, including a decade as Director of the School of Theater Arts, he inspired many students as a professor, mentor, and playwright; several of his works were brought to life onstage at IWU. At home, John cherished time with Patricia, whether hosting their gourmet cooking group, traveling abroad, or simply enjoying family life. He loved initiating engaging conversations about politics, literature, and the arts and was deeply devoted to his wife, four children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Preceding him in death are his parents, his sisters, Mary Ficca (Coratto) and Louise Ficca (Metts); his brothers, Alfred and Albert Ficca; his wife, Patricia; and his son, Dirk (Lynda). John is survived by his children, Darby (Hudson) Venerable of Bloomington, Dawn (Michael Pautz) Coursey of Arlington Heights, and Douglas (Marsha Veninga) Ficca of Bloomington; grandchildren, Dillon (Hala) Ficca, Connor Ficca, Lindsay (David) Hoffman, John (Kelsey) Venerable, Blair (Jon) Beuttler, and Alyson Ficca; and eight great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 6, at Evelyn Chapel, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington. A reception will follow at the Joslin Atrium of the Memorial Center. Private interment will take place at Funk's Grove Cemetery. Memorials may be made to IWU John Ficca Endowed Scholarship Fund or the Wesleyan Fund. Online condolences and memories of John may be left for his family at kiblerbradyruestman.com . Obituaries Newsletter Sign up to get the most recent local obituaries delivered to your inbox.South Bay Collision Celebrates 40 Years of Excellence in Auto Body Repair and Customer Service
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California, home to some of the largest technology companies in the world, would be the first U.S. state to require mental health warning labels on social media sites if lawmakers pass a bill introduced Monday. The legislation sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta is necessary to bolster safety for children online, supporters say, but industry officials vow to fight the measure and others like it under the First Amendment. Warning labels for social media gained swift bipartisan support from dozens of attorneys general, including Bonta, after U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to establish the requirements earlier this year, saying social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Spotify Users Discover Adult Content Hidden In Search Results Sparking Outrage Over Moderation Loopholes (UPDATED)
The data show tariffs never fully delivered on Trump's promised factory jobs. Nor did they provoke the avalanche of inflation that critics feared.Cabinet ministers have been warned they must find more savings in their departments as the Chancellor said “every pound” of Government spending will be scrutinised in a major budget review. Secretaries of State are being told that any outgoings which are not contributing towards one of Labour’s “priorities” must be cut as Rachel Reeves vows to wield “an iron fist against waste.” In letters sent by Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones, departments will be told to brace for “difficult” spending decisions in order to restore trust in the Government’s handling of the public finances. The Chancellor will on Tuesday launch the next round of Government spending, and is expected to warn departments that they “cannot operate in a business-as-usual way when reviewing their budgets for the coming years”. She will insist that areas focused on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s “plan for change”, which includes targets to improve living standards across the country and build 1.5 million homes, must be prioritised. Ms Reeves said: “By totally rewiring how the Government spends money we will be able to deliver our plan for change and focus on what matters for working people. “By reforming our public services, we will ensure they are up to scratch for modern day demands, saving money and delivering better services for people across the country. That’s why we will inspect every pound of Government spend, so that it goes to the right places and we put an end to all waste.” Under the Treasury’s plans, departments will ensure budgets are scrutinised by “challenge panels” of external experts including former senior management of Lloyd’s Banking Group, Barclays Bank and the Co-operative Group. These panels, which will also involve think tanks, academics and the private sector, will advise on which spending “is or isn’t necessary”, the ministry said. The Treasury said work has already begun, with an evaluation of the £6.5 million spent on a scheme that placed social workers in schools finding “no evidence of positive impact on social care outcomes”. “Departments will be advised that where spending is not contributing to a priority, it should be stopped,” it said. “Although some of these decisions will be difficult, the Chancellor is clear that the public must have trust in the Government that it is rooting out waste and that their taxes are being spent on their priorities.” Ms Reeves had already announced efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments in her autumn budget as she seeks to put the public finances on a firmer footing. In a speech in east London, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden hinted at a further squeeze. “At the Budget the Chancellor demanded efficiency and productivity savings of 2% across departments – and there will be more to come,” he said. “As we launch the next phase of the spending review at its heart must be reform of the state in order to do a better job for the public.”
FIREFIGHTERS were called to a unit block at Adamstown after reports a "petrol bomb" had been thrown at a front door. Login or signup to continue reading Fire and Rescue NSW crews rushed to Brunker Road just before 6pm on Monday, December 9, after calls for help were made to emergency services. It's understood initial reports indicated a fire had been deliberately lit when a "petrol bomb" had been thrown at a unit doorway on the third floor. Four Fire and Rescue NSW tankers were tasked to the scene, along with a rehabilitation van to extinguish the blaze. An automated sprinkler head was activated and caused water damage from the third floor down to the ground. Firefighters contained the blaze to the exterior of the unit and the hallway and carried out "salvage work" across the three levels. Fire and Rescue NSW crews handed the scene over to police just before 8pm on Monday for investigations to continue. Newcastle Herald has reached out to NSW Police for comment. More details to come. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Get the latest property and development news here. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. WEEKLY Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily!Meo, Battle net 13 to help Coastal Carolina down South Carolina Upstate 73-51
Bucharest: A senior official at Romania’s telecoms regulator called on Wednesday for TikTok to be suspended pending an investigation into the platform’s potential role in Sunday’s shock far-right victory in the first round of a presidential election. Having polled in single digits before Sunday’s vote, independent far-right politician Calin Georgescu, 62, surged to a victory that raised questions over how such a surprise had been possible in the European Union and NATO member state. Shock win: Romanian presidential candidate Calin Georgescu. Credit: Getty Images He will face centrist contender Elena Lasconi in a run-off on December 8. Georgescu gained many votes from young voters and Romanians living abroad, and his campaign relied heavily on the video-sharing platform. “I call for the TikTok platform to be suspended in Romania as of November 28 until state institutions finalise an investigation concerning the manipulation of the electoral process,” telecoms regulator deputy chief Pavel Popescu was quoted saying by the news website profit.ro. “I will start the official process to that end tomorrow.” A man with the Romanian and EU flags takes part in a protest against Calin Georgescu in Bucharest. Credit: AP The government’s press office did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Romania’s National Audiovisual Council (NAC) had already called on the European Commission on Tuesday to investigate TikTok’s role in the vote, due to “suspicions of manipulation of public opinion”. Loading NAC vice president Valentin-Alexandru Jucan said the council believed the platform’s algorithms had amplified material favourable to a single candidate and that it had lacked transparency about who was sponsoring election content. A TikTok spokesperson dismissed such concerns. “These ... reports about the Romanian elections are inaccurate and misleading, as most candidates have established a TikTok presence and the winners campaigned on other digital platforms beyond ours,” the spokesperson said. TikTok did not immediately respond to a further request for comment about Popescu’s comments. The European Commission confirmed by email that it had received a request to launch a probe. “If the Commission suspects a breach on the basis of the evidence at our disposal, it can open proceedings to look into TikTok’s compliance ... We are closely monitoring developments.” In a further sign of the level of concern in the nation of 19 million people, the president’s office said Romania’s top security body would meet on Thursday to discuss possible risks to the country and its electoral process stemming from social media. Meanwhile, two candidates eliminated in the first round have challenged the election round at Romania’s top court asking it to recall the result on the grounds Georgescu did not declare any campaign funding sources. Georgescu’s team has yet to comment on the challenge. Georgescu has said his campaign budget was zero and backed entirely by volunteers. Analysts and politicians have said his surprise win relative to his pre-election polling data indicated foreign interference in the election. Before the vote, Romania’s intelligence agency told lawmakers it had not detected signs that national security was breached. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Bucharest on Tuesday evening, chanting: “No Putin, no fear, Europe is our mother,” and “Young people ask you not to vote for a dictator.” Protests were also held in other major cities. Georgescu has previously praised 1930s Romanian fascist politicians as national heroes and martyrs, has been critical of NATO and Romania’s pro-Ukraine position, and has said the country should engage, not challenge Russia. But in a stream on Facebook on Tuesday evening, he said: “I do not want to leave NATO, I do not want to leave the European Union. What I want, however, is to take a stance, not to kneel over there, not to take everything. Like I said, we should do everything in our national interest.” Reuters Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here . Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Social media World elections Romania Influence campaigns TikTok Most Viewed in World Loading